Santalune Academy - Boldly to the Stars
by kneedeepinthenorthsea
Summary: Caroline's been waiting for the last three years of her life to begin her Pokémon journey, and it's finally time for her to start studying at Santalune Academy. What will Santalune and the Kalos region have in store for her? (T for language/preemptive rating for future content)


**My first Pokémon story on FF! Goes without saying that I don't own Nintendo/Pokémon. Please rate & comment if you like it, and maybe I'll continue to post and write more! Thanks for checking this out. xx Sea**

I had been waiting for this moment for the last two years of my life. Since the moment that my mom reminded me that I could participate in Pokémon League competitions across the regions if I completed studies at the Pokémon Academy, from that moment I trained hard. Well, as hard as a 14 year old could.

After school, I came home and watched Professor Elm's lectures, and when I had the time, I'd watch Professor Juniper's shows from the Unova region, and Professor Oak's from Kanto. And on the weekends, I'd practice battling the other boys and girls in my class with my mom's Ampharos, Lady. I was obsessed.

And then six months ago, I came home to my mom brimming with excitement, clutching a wrinkled letter in her palm. "You got a letter from the Academy today! I already opened it, I just couldn't stop myself, I'm so sorry…" But there was nothing to be sorry about. Peeking out from under her clutched fist was "_On behalf of Santalune City's Pokémon Academy I am pleased to…_"

And that was it. That was how I found myself on a packing my life into a suitcase and waiting for lunch in the Olivine Café with my mom. She had insisted on taking time off from work to come send me off for the Academy. She'd assured me that Professor Elm would be alright without her for a few days, I still worried a bit, especially since she'd stressed the importance of the research they were doing.

"Do you know what classes you're going to be taking yet?" Mom picked up her fork and knife as the waitress brought over her steak, my stew and a bowl of PokéFood for Lady.

"Freshmen have to take General PokéTypology course, Intro to Battling, General Region History and a couple of electives. And then a mandatory advisory each week, I think." I said between bites. "How do you like your food, Lady?"

Lady let out a happy cry as she shoveled down another bite. Mom stroked the gem on Lady's head before taking a bite and turning to me. She looked hesitant, like she was holding something back. "Are you sure you're going to be okay starting school without a single Pokémon? You know you're more than welcome to take any of my Pokémon with you when you leave tonight."

I pushed around my soup a little sheepishly. My mom always kept her Gardevoir, Aurorus, Altaria and, of course Lady, on hand, and they were all fantastic.

"I just want to have my own Pokémon to start my journey with, it's nothing against your Pokémon, they're incredible – but they're yours, and I just need to have my own adventure." I paused to stroke Lady's head. "Plus, they'll assign us a Pokémon from our regions when we get there. I won't be totally alone."

"Well, until then, I'd feel better if you took this," Mom passed a PokéBall across the table. "She's from Professor Elm, he wanted to give her to you himself but…"

"Oh my god, Mom, thank you!" I held the PokéBall out in front of me. My breath caught as I watched the white light reveal my first Pokémon.

She was so tiny, especially compared to Lady; as soon as I saw her mousy brown body and disproportionately large tail, I knew, even before she opened her mouth. "An Eevee!"

"She's all yours!" Mom grinned as my new Eevee let out a cry, jumped on the table and started lapping up my soup, then quickly sniffed out Lady's PokéFood and started devouring that. "Of course, she's going to need plenty of training. And you'll have time for that at the Academy."

I plucked up my Eevee before Lady decided to take her pilfering into her own hands. Eevee let out a tiny pout and looked obviously disgruntled. Before she saw a sunbeam and jumped out of my hands to roll around in it. "Oh my god. Well, you're Stella from now on, little sunbather. Return." I felt the eyes of the sailors in the Café on my back as she returned to her PokéBall. As feisty as she was, I seriously doubted we were in any shape for a battle.

"Caroline, let's head back to the hotel? I think Lady and Stella could use a good rest before you head out," Mom called from the doorway of the café.

"Well wait for me then!" I almost yelled, fumbling to grab my bag and race her to the door.

"Don't be such a Slowbro, hurry up!" Mom teased, walking out. Lady nodded her head and followed after her as I ran behind them.

_**x**_

Once we got back to hotel, Mom helped me shove the rest of my things into suitcases while Lady and Stella played. "Phew! All done. Say, why don't we have a battle before the ferry leaves, dear?"

I glanced at Stella who was idly playing with the orb on the tip of Lady's tail. "I don't think Stella is ready for a battle with Lady yet, mom…"

"Oh no, I meant with one of my Pokémon!" Mom pulled out her PokéBalls from the clip on her belt. "I think Aurorus would love to have one last battle with you before you go."

"Well, in that case, let's do it!" I smiled, taking the PokéBall holding my mom's beloved Aurorus. "Stella," I called, "I want you to watch us battle, okay? That way we can battle together soon!"

Stella let out a delighted cry and I turned to Mom. "Okay, let's head outside." I held Aurorus's PokéBall firmly in my hand as we walked out to the battlefield behind the hotel. My mom was an incredible battler – she had won the Kalos League when she was 16, and the Unova League two years after that, only resigning her champion titles to come live in Johto and become a lead researcher at Professor Elm's lab.

"Are you ready, daydreamer?" Mom smirked. "Let's go, Lady!"

"Come on out, Aurorus!" The gems on Aurorus's blue skin glimmered in the sun as he turned to greet me. "Hello, Aurorus! Ready for one last battle, boy?"

"The first move's all yours, dear," Mom said, half-curtseying to me.

"Alright, Aurorus, use Ice Beam on Lady!"

"Lady, dodge that Ice Beam with Double Team!"

A dozen Ampharoses filled up the battlefield as Aurorus's ice beam hit its fake target. "Get ready!" I called as I scanned the field anxiously, knowing that at any moment, the real one would show itself. One of them broke formation and started charging toward Aurorus.

"Lady, use Electro Ball!"

"Now Aurorus, use Ancient Power on the ground aroung you!"

Aurorus smashed his feet into the ground around him, causing slabs of stone to shoot up around him like a fence as Lady came crashing in with her Electro Ball. The resulting explosion caused huge plumes of dust to fill up the field.

"Aurorus, clear the field with Icy Wind!" I yelled.

A freezing gust of air swept through the field clearing away the dust and debris to reveal…absolutely nothing. "Ah shit," I muttered. It had been a diversion all along.

"Alright, Lady, let's finish this up with Fire Punch!" Mom called as Lady swept in from above and landed a critical hit on Aurorus.

"Aurorus, no! Come on, get up!" When I finally realized she'd beaten me, I pulled out his PokéBall. "Return. You were great," I murmured.

"Caroline, your battling skills have really improved!"

"Thanks mom," I smiled, handing Aurorus's PokéBall back to her. I didn't want her to realize my disappointment in my loss. We hadn't even battled for ten minutes. "Stella, did you see that?"

Stella chirped in (what appeared to be) admiration. After all, who really knows what's going on in the minds of Pokémon? I giggled as she leapt onto my shoulder. "We'll train hard and we'll become as strong as my mom and Lady! How does that sound?"

Mom smiled. "I think you and Stella will make a great team. It'll just take some time, but I can see the potential in you both. We – "

The bell tower chimed and panic rooted me to the spot. "Oh no. The ferry is leaving in ten minutes!"

"Well, don't just stand there like a Slowbro, let's go!" Mom shouted, racing toward the hotel room.

What a great start to my Pokémon journey.


End file.
